A Time For Truth
by Deirdre
Summary: An AU story about love overcoming a parent's folly... or something like that. Contains abuse, though I didn't write that much about it


Standard Disclaimers Apply

< thoughts >  
|signs|

Most of this fic is supposed to be a cassette tape Ranko (Ranma-chan) has sent to everyone listed at the beginning.

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A Time For Truth  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction Production  
By: Deirdre Winter  
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Those of you who I'm sending this to (Ryouga, Akane, Ukyou, Shampoo Mousse and Cologne, Nabiki Kasumi and Soun, and Kuno and Kodachi) all think you know me, but you don't really. Well, Ryouga does a lot better then the rest of you, but even you don't know everything Ryochan. I think I'll start with the first thing that most of you don't know, my name. Wait, first I actually should say, please, none of you let my dad hear this. If you want someone else who you're close to to listen to it, fine, but not to Pop.

So, my name. I guess I sorta have two names. When I was introduced to people (when my dad was around) I was Saotome Ranma. My real name is Saotome Ranko. And the pool I fell into was the Spring of a Drowned Young Man in the hot springs equivalent to Jusenkyo, Kyusenkyou.

I should start at the beginning. 16 years ago. My pop always wanted a boy. For as long as I can remember he always chastised me for being so weak and puny because I was female, as if I had had a choice in the matter. I was born a girl and therefore I'll always be inferior. Even though Ryochan told me once that I'm almost as strong as he is, and at least twice as fast, it was never enough for Pop. Never.

However, when mom was pregnant with me she made him promise that I would be the heir to the Saotome School of Anything-Goes martial arts, whether I was born a girl or a boy. Of course, Pop never doubted that his kid would be born a boy, so he agreed right away. Nine months later I was born, a bouncing baby girl. If he hadn't made that promise I would never have had to go on that training trip, and he would have just waited until he had a son.

My first few years were normal. I lived with mom and pop in a nice little house. I don't remember much about that time of course, but what I do remember seemed nice enough. Then, when I was three, pop decided that since I was a girl and therefore weak, he must strive to make me a worthy heir by taking me from the love and warmth of home and my mother, and dragging me all over Japan.

It wasn't that bad at first, a little annoying due to the way he kept my hair dyed black since he thought red hair was feminine for some reason, but not really bad. He mostly just gave me speed and endurance training. Even he was smart enough to realise a 3 year-old isn't gonna respond well to the type of training he would later force on me. Unfortunately some techniques *coughtheNekokencough* he thought wouldn't be that bad for me. He's an idiot.

Then, we met Ucchan. She was the first friend I'd ever had, and I would have been happy to stay with her and her father forever. The marriage idea really would never have worked out though, Ucchan.

However, once he saw that Ucchan was already training in fighting Pop decided it was time to start really training me in the art. I never really talked much about the way he trained me, though the training in the Nekoken must give you an clue. He'd beat me bloody, until I passed out. Then he'd leave me behind while he traveled on, and once I could follow I had to track him down. True, he did slow down a lot and mark his trail well, but that didn't make it any better. I'd lie unconscious in a hospital for days to weeks at a time while he got farther and farther away, then I'd have to find a way to sneak out without paying and travel as fast as I could before I was fully well again to find him. 

After a while I found the trick to beating this system. I'd pretend to fall unconscious and wait until he left, then find the nearest martial arts master and beg them to teach me as much as they could in the amount of time I'd choose to be there. I had to learn how to memorize new technique's extremely fast, though I did have a bit of a gift in that department. I'd never let my dad know what I was doing of course. I'd introduce one or two amateurish new moves every few times we fought so he'd think I was learning stuff from him, but I'd never let him know how far my training was coming along really.

There are some people out there who trained me that I'd love to see again. I just had to tell them my story and demonstrate how much I knew and they'd take me in right away and teach me new things at my level of learning, as much as they could fit into the time I spent with them. Other's I had to pay to teach me, and they never taught me much so I wouldn't spend much time with them.

You might have wondered how, despite all those years on the road, I still managed to get (and stay) in classes the right grade level for a person of my age whenever I was inrolled in school. Well, many of those men (even one's I had to pay) always told me that knowledge is power as well, and they'd train me in the Art during the day and twilight, then train my mind late into the night. I didn't sleep much when I stayed with them, but it didn't matter. Of course, I don't like bookwork so I don't bother doing it when I'm in school much, but I do know it. 

I believe the most important thing they taught me was languages. Chinese, English, Russian, and French are the ones I ended up with a good grasp of, and they ended up being very important to me. Especially Chinese.

You might be thinking, 'Chinese? Then why the hell'd you go to the cursed springs to begin with?' and 'English? Then why do you suck at it so bad at school?' Well, for the English it's because, as I said before, I hate bookwork and don't do it much. As for going to the cursed springs... you'll see later.

During all this time dad thought I was just a really lowsy tracker. He could understand that since he himself couldn't track a giant if it was standing perfectly still, let alone a moving human. He didn't really care if I sucked at it. In reality I always found him in a pretty short time, but who cares?

By the time I was 13 even the portion of how much I knew that I showed Dad was pretty good. So, he figured 'Ok now, maybe we'll settle down and get Ranma a little schooling.' Ranma's what he always called me by then, he'd given up ever calling me Ranko. I remembered my name though, and I refused to froget it. 

Oh wait, I do have a particularly horrid instance to retell. A short time before that I'd gotten my period for the first time. Now, imagine it. You've lived with your dad for as long as you can remember, and there's no other girls in your life. You know nothing about the changes that happen to a girls body when they grow up. One morning you wake up and find you're lying in a puddle of your own blood, and more of it is pouring out (or at least it looks to you like it's pouring out) from between your legs. What would you think? And that's not even mentioning the cramps. Really bad cramps. 

I thought I was dying. My mind shut down and all I could do was sit there clutching my knees to my chest, shivering very hard, and screaming. Dad managed to guess pretty quick what had happened when he looked at the blood on the bed, and luckily we were staying in a hotel at the time for once. So he managed to find a kind motherly woman to explain it all to me and to provide with the nessacary stuff. Ever since then I hated that occurrence more then anything. It's the best thing I could say about the curse, it seems to have rendered me infertile or something. I haven't had a period since then, no matter how long I stay a girl. 

Anyways, school. Pop registered me as a boy, redyed my hair since my roots were getting a little red again, cut my hair so it was only a short braid, bound my breasts, and sent me off. There I met Ryochan. It was love... well, lust at first sight. And there I was with him thinking I was a guy.

Ukyou had been my only friend, real friend, before that, and I still remembered how we had become friends. I tried to do the same thing with Ryochan and the bread, but he just got mad instead. So I tried a different trick, by leading him to and from school everyday.

We got to know each other, though as we did so I glossed over my training so he didn't really know much more about my training then any of you others did. I knew if he knew the truth that, even if I wasn't his favorite person, he would beat the shit out of dad. I couldn't let that happen, because Dad was all I had.

Ryochan... I fell in love with him. I'm sure Dad was spying on us though, because everytime I tried to tell Ryochan that I am a girl and that I loved him Dad would pop out of nowhere and the chance would be lost. Then Ryouga began to think of me as a friend, and talk to me like a friend, and even though I loved him more everyday I decided I'd rather continue on like that and have his friendship then tell him the truth and maybe have him think I'd betrayed him by lying to him about being a boy and turning away from me entirely. 

Then, my dad discovered a way to take him from me, to make him think that his friendship meant nothing to me, to break his trust. Because my father would never allow me to love a man. 

We fought sometimes, obviously. That battle wasn't the first we'd had and always before I'd waited faithfully in the lot however long it toke for him to get there. It was understood that I'd not lead him to a duel because you don't lead your enemy to the battle like that. 

So, by this time we were friends. Hell, maybe best friends. He knew that I'd always be there every morning to guide him to school, and at his class every afternoon to lead him home, or wherever he'd want to go. He put his trust into me, into the fact I'd never laugh at his directional problem or anything. 

Then, my dad pulled me away kicking and screaming while I was waiting for him. And he paid some students to say I had left the school with my dad, laughing about 'That idiot who thinks he's my friend but that I really only lead around to laugh at the way he wanders around.' Well, that was the basic jist of it. And he tore up the letter I thought he wouldn't notice I had left for Ryochan telling him I'd never said anything like that about him, and telling him the truth about myself and how much I loved him, and asking him to catch up with us.

I sent you so many letters while on the road Ryochan. And in every one I'd retell the truth and say how much I loved you, just in case Dad had managed to get the others before the mailmen did somehow. If you went home and looked into your mailbox it must be stuffed with my letters. I never betrayed you, and I know that's the real reason you started coming after me.

So, we went to China. And one of the first places we went was the Cursed Springs of Kyusenkyou. The place was a valley full of natural hot springs. If I had been paying any attention I would have heard the guides warnings and noticed the signs warning about what would happen, but I was to busy fighting with my dad. I didn't notice anything until I fell into the spring of a drowned young man, and then it was to late. Suddenly my Dad's dreams were realised, he had a son for his heir. He tried to force me to stay in male form all the time. Luckily, cold water's a lot easier to come up with the hot water, so I managed to stay myself most of the time. The really interesting thing is that the dye in my hair didn't stick when I changed forms, the boy side had naturally black hair it seems and when I turn back into a girl my hairs red, just like it should be. It's such a relief not to have him force dye into my hair every few months.

From that day forth I searched fast and hard for a suitable revenge. I found Jusenkyo.

As I said before, cold water's a lot easier to get then hot water, so I thought if I found the right pool it'd be perfect. He couldn't understand Chinese like I could so all he knew was that it was really dangerous. The perfect place to give his new "Son" the training past that he was given as a weak inferior girl.

When he fell into the pool of the drowned panda it was a bit of a mistake. I was aiming for the spring of a drowned rat that was next to it. I did actually fall into a spring, but it was not cursed and I very carefully got to it to change back into my natural body. Then, once my dad realised what the place was, he did the thing that caused me to fly at him in a blind rage. He got hot water and changed us both, then, without my knowing he found out where the spring of a drowned young man was. He wanted to force me into it while in boy form. If that happened I'd change into a boy both with hot water and with cold water. I'd be trapped. Luckily he didn't know I could read the sign and I managed to grab the pole and pull myself up at the last second.

So I chased him. Both of us splashed through the uncursed pond I had used to change myself back earlier so I was a girl chasing a panda. I didn't pay any attention to who was in the way. Ryochan, I'm sorry. I did recognize you a second later. You're the only person the sight of whom could break me from the haze of madness that enwrapped my mind. I ran back and saw you holding on to a small ledge a little way down the cliff face. I tried to climb down and reach you before you fell, but I was too late. And then I tried to find you, and while a few of the animals I splashed turned into interesting things, none of them became you. I didn't know until later you'd fallen into the spring of a drowned... (authors note: At this moment Ranko realizes that Akane is gonna hear this tape) Warthog! Yah, that's it, warthog!

So, we ended up leaving. I was sure the guide would find you soon enough and I couldn't leave my dad, no matter what sorta jackass he is. Of course, that night was the first time I gave him a real taste of how good martial artist I really was.

Shampoo, if you want to kill me now, I'll understand. However, I won't allow you to do so. I've lied all this time. I have nothing against fighting girls, I am a girl. It's just that at the time I first fought Akane I really didn't have a good sense of my own strength, and didn't want to hurt Akane if I overestimated her strength and underestimated my own. So I just dodged, trying to get a good idea at how she compared to me, and that later the excuse I don't hit girls just popped out of no where, and it's haunted me ever since. But, the point is, if you decided to kill me and honestly came after me with that intent, then I will kill you first if that's what it takes to keep myself alive. However, I want to be your friend, and as a friend I personally suggest that you listen to Mousse's declarations of love. He is a strong warrior and he'll treat you like a queen. And Mousse, I suggest that you fight Shampoo full out for once. If you did that you might win. Don't worry about hurting her, I'm sure you won't.

Anyways, the short time we spent at the Amazon village was pretty much exactly the same as I said in the past. I was in girl form, we ate the trophy, I tried to be fair figuring that if I won I'd be the victor and then we could share the food. I really should just have offered to pay for the food consumed.

Then, Pop decided to go and visit his old pal Soun Tendou with his "son" Ranma. I honestly didn't know what he was trying to do, and I tried to get away once I found out, but I couldn't. And then everything fell apart.

I'm loyal to my father. I tried to be the son he wanted, but I couldn't. That's why I always tried to get the "cures," so that I'd please Dad. And, so that not all of you girls would have to end up heartbroken. My own heart had been shattered and I didn't ever want to do that to anyone else. I don't want to be anyone's excuse to cry.

But, Ryouga was back in my life. The first time I saw him I didn't even recognised him, he was so changed. When I realised it was him it made me sick to the heart, seeing the pain and anger in his eyes. But, at the same time I fell in love with him all over again. To see that I made him feel so strongly, it gave me hope that maybe, deep inside part of him maybe knew I was really a girl, and maybe that part loved me like I loved him.

But, despite, what he might have felt in the past, because of Dad's actions it was obvious he hated me. Isn't it ironic? I loved him more then anything, and his idea of conversation tended to be, "Ranma, Prepare To DIE!" Can you imagine what it felt like? How it drove a knife deep into my heart everytime I heard those words?

I admit though, sometimes I lured him into fights. Because, even though it hurt to see his hatred, the only time I ever got close to him was when we fought. I know that sounds like I was getting off on fighting with him or something, but that's not it. It's just... being close to him made me feel... feel warm and safe and happy, even if he was trying to bludgeon me with his umbrella or something. Just being near him made me feel like everything was gonna be alright. 

Of course, the best time during this period was when I pretended to be his fiancee, because then I could openly love him and then he sorta loved me. But even then I could never hold him, touch him, kiss him the way I wanted. I knew it wasn't really me he believed he was holding, but someone else. Then one day I decided... but we'll get into that later.

Now, you must be wondering at my chasing after those cures the way I did. There are two parts to that. Firstly, I wanted to cure Ryochan. I thought maybe that would put me back in his good graces. Secondly, well, that varies. Sometimes, as I said, I thought it would be easier just to stay a boy forever and just go and marry one of my fiancees and please my dad. Most of the time I was hoping that I could find a way to make the cure apply to me.

When Cologne did that All Over Cats Tounge thing it was a dream. Well, except for one small thing. I like taking hot baths. I really like them. Soaking in the hot water helps to ease the aches in my body after the fights of the day and it's the one time I can relax. Then there's the fact that sometimes Ryochan would show up in there as well. That, and the fact I didn't want Akane screaming at me about being a pervert even more then she usually did because I happen to prefer staying in my real body since she thought I was really a boy. That's embarrassing enough when she only does it every so often. As a small note, I was never a guy staring at your body Akane, I was a girl who happened to see another girl naked.

There's not much I can say about my time in Nermia I guess. I mean, you were all there for most of it. Just switch the idea of me as a guy who happens to turn into a girl with me as a girl who turns into a guy and has to pretend to be a guy. You might wonder why I'd keep up the charade. I did it for my dad. Despite the fact he's a jackass he's still all I had for so long that I can't help but love him, and I was trying to please him. 

Anyways, after a while I got sick of it. And one day I decided I didn't care if he didn't know it was me. I would stay with Ryochan and tell him about myself while disguised as his fiancee. I'd let him learn who I really was instead of who he thought Ranma was, and maybe, hopefully, he'd fall in love with me. Of course, he didn't know who I was, though he did know my name was Ranko. And, later on, he learned the truth...

Our time together was wonderful. We traveled the world together, never knowing where we'd go next. When we got somewhere either of us felt like seeing I'd take the lead and keep us in the city. I have to admit, at first it was a little weird do things like walking from Japan to France in a half hour without even ever seeming to travel over water, but it was fun!

And I loved him. I love him still. At the time I could openly love him, without fearing his thinking that not long before then I was a guy.

Akane, Ukyou, Shampoo, hell, even Kodachi, you need to understand that I know how (most of you) seem to feel. I know what it's like to love someone so much that you can't breath when they're near. I know how it feels like a dagger slicing up your heart while you still live when they show no affection to you. I know how a large part of your soul dies whenever they treat you cruelly or turn away from you. I know how your heart fills till it feels like its going to burst whenever they show the smallest sign of caring. I love him. I love you Ryochan.

Of course, all this time I very carefully avoided hot water. I found, much to my surprise, that it was very easy. In the past it had always seemed that the wrong kind of water always managed to show up at the worst possible moment, but during those months it was almost as if something was helping me avoid it. 

Then, one day, we returned to Jusenkyo. Ryochan knew where we were at once, of course, and hurriedly got us out of there. We spent a few nights in the amazon village. As Shampoo could tell you, they never turn away a woman and her companions. In the middle of that first night I snuck out, back to Jusenkyo, and awoke the guide. I told him my story and we managed to come up with a plan to cure me pretty quickly.

It was so easy, I was an idiot not to have thought of it myself. First, he turned me male. Then I jumped into the pool of a drowned young man, and for that short time I was locked into male form. At the side there was a small flask of Spring of a Drowned girl water from Kyusenkyou. See, the guide has this little hobby of collecting cursed artifacts, especially ones from places related to Jusenkyo. Later on I thought to ask him why we hadn't just dumped the Kyusenkyou water on me when I was in my natural form. He said that he wanted to see if the long way he used would work. This whole time there was a chance I could end up permanently stuck as a guy and that was all because of his curiosity. Geeze.

Anyways, he dumped the Kyusenkyou water on me so now I was a guy who turned into a girl. We had to spend a short time giving me a haircut before we could continue on, because I had long since lost any dragon whiskers I had on me when we left, so my hair had gone all over the place while I was a guy. Once I looked like myself again... Oh, did all of you (Ryochan excluded) know that I used my hairs rapid growing trick to make my hair a little longer then waist length? Usually I keep it in a ponytail, or knotted up if I need to keep it from flying around. No reason for telling you all this, I just wanted you to know that when I say I looked like myself again that's how my hair looked, not like the length it used to be.

Anyways, now to actually get back to the cure. After the hair cut was over I took a quick swim in the Jusenkyo Spring of a Drowned Girl. And then I was locked into my natural form because both hot and cold water would activate a curse to turn me into a girl. TADA!

Our time together after that was even better then ever, or at least it was to me, because I no longer had to be looking out for hot water at every turn. I could fully enjoy Ryouga's company. Of course, now you must be wondering how Ryochan found out the truth about who I am at all, since my curse was now gone. I told him myself.

We had been getting closer. If you want to know how much closer then don't look to me for that info, I'm not telling. Needless to say, we'd gotten closer. I felt he deserved to know the truth before something happened he might really regret if he found out later. He thought that I had been lying to him about everything. He thought that it was all a sick joke to me, leading him on then tearing him down. He was deaf to my cries, he left me behind after attempting to beat me into a bloody pulp. He didn't even stay long enough to find out I was fully a girl now, or to receive a gift that I'd been saving...

I've been alone ever since, traveling around a lot, doing odd jobs to raise cash. I even used a few tricks I'd learned from watching Nabiki working. I saw Ryochan once or twice, but I always hide from him. I didn't want to deal with his hatred. Then, one day, I decided that you all deserve to know the truth about me. And may you'll all turn from me like Ryochan did, but at least you'll know who I am, really. I am Saotome Ranko.

I never wanted to hurt anyone, or to break any hearts. And all I want now is to come back to Nermia, to the one place I have friends, with Ryochan by my side. Life without him isn't worth living.

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Ranko removed the final cassette from her tape recorder. She looked at the cassettes lying on the floor beside her and selected two of the tapes, then recorded two very special messages at the end of them.

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Kunou and Kodachi listened to there copy of the tape and shrugged. Obviously something must be wrong with the pigtailed girl if she truly believed that tale.

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Shampoo had sat in shock throughout most of the tape. Especially the part where Ranma had first threatened her and then told her she should take Mousse as her husband. Now she was sobbing in a crumpled heap on the floor. Mousse knelt down and pulled her into his arms, but she was to far gone into her grief to push him away. Instead she clutched to him like a lifeline, clutching at the comfort offered, pushing herself into his warmth and burying her face in his robes, still sobbing. His robes were getting soaked but neither of them really noticed.

Mousse himself was rolling it all over in his mind. < All that time Saotome was really a woman? And he... She even told Shampoo that she should marry me? > His mind wrapped itself around this fact, < Even after all those times I attacked hi-her still she tries to help me? She's a much better person then I. I... I hope she returns one day. I think the next time we meet I'd like to get to know her better. >

Cologne said nothing. She had suspected that something wasn't quite right about her son-in-law. This wasn't quite what se had had in mind, but it confirmed in her mind a long held suspicion that Shampoo and Ranma, well, Ranko rather, would never marry. < After a life such as the one she described the fact that she managed to become a martial artist of her caliber is amazing. I'm surprised that parts of her aren't seriously damaged, and that she retained her sanity, but instead she's one of the best fighters I've ever met. Maybe I'll offer her a position among the Amazons, we could learn a thing or two from her. >

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Soun was sobbing in the background while Kasumi and Nabiki talked, and stared at the package on the table that Akane would receive when she got home from a sleepover.

"Oh my."

"You can say that again." Nabiki said.

"Oh my." Kasumi had no idea why Nabiki then slapped herself in the forehead.

"So, what do you think Akane will do once she listens to her tape?"

"I don't think the dojo will survive what she does to it." Kasumi answered after some thought.

"The cost of repairs is going to be astronomical."

"You can do something about that I'm sure, Nabiki." Kasumi paused and glanced up in the direction of the room where Genma was sleeping. When she spoke again her voice was steely, and a hard look came into her eyes, "I don't want that man in my house any longer. He can have breakfast and then he must leave."

Nabiki was a little frightened by the look on Kasumi's face. Was this her eternally cheerful sister? Then again, from what the tape had described Genma doing, he deserved it. "Isn't that a little harsh? I mean, he has no money or a place to go, and its awfully short notice for him to find a place."

"He can go back to his wife. For what that man did he deserves a fate worse then Akane's wrath. Instead I'm just making him leave the house." Just then Genma came down the stairs.

"Good morning everyone." He managed to catch a bag full of food Kasumi flung at him just before it could hit him in the head. "Huh?" He stared in shock at the hatred and cold fury on Kasumi's face.

"Get out. Now. If you ever come back I am going to hand you over to the assorted martial artists in this town, many of whom I'm sure would like nothing more then to see you dead after today." As he listened to Kasumi Genma slowly edged towards the door. Now he reached it, and he ran away as fast as his legs could carry him. When he was gone Kasumi swayed and fell heavily into a chair. "Oh my, what, what came over me?"

Nabiki sat down next to the older girl and hugged her, "It's ok Kasumi, its just anger. In his case you were completly justified." In her mind she thought, < Well, now we know what it takes to break through Kasumi's happy shell. Damn, when she gets angry she really gets pissed. >

Kasumi began to cry, "Oh, poor Ranko-chan."

"I hope she's alright." Nabiki said. Just then, Akane entered the room.

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Ukyou cried. She cried over the lose of love, and of hope. The lose of dreams of the future. She cried over how like her Ranko was, and yet how she, who should have been able to recognize the truth early on, had ignored any signs of the truth in order to keep her dreams. She cried for the pain Ranko must have felt, a pain echoed all to clearly in Ukyou's heart, when she lost her love.

When the tears ran out she sat up and vowed to herself, the next time she saw Saotome Genma he was a dead (or at least extremely well beaten) man.

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Akane thought the tape was over but a minute later Ranko spoke again- "Akane, this message in for you alone. With all the years I spent as a boy a small part of my mind couldn't help but become masculine, and that part of my mind loves you more then anything. If I had married any of you girls it would have been you, if you would have had me. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't give up the person I love most, and my femininity just to satisfy that part of my mind.

"Find someone you love, Akane. If there's one thing I've learned from all this it's that love is the most important thing in the world. 

"You know, you were right about me. I was a jackass. I did that on purpose. I didn't want you to fall in love with me when nothing could ever happen between us, so I was rude and mean and arrogant. I hope it worked.

Please give Ryouga the tape labeled for him. I'm sure he'll show up there soon, and he needs to know the truth. Then, could you guide him to the place I want to meet him?"

Akane nodded slowly, then spoke to herself, "I'll do it. Oh you idiot, I did love you." She then thought back over the tape. Before she had listened to it Kasumi had told her that Genma had had to leave. Now she knew why. Her urge to kill him was rising by the second.

"WHERE THE HELL AM I NOW!!" a voice yelled outside below her window. She looked down on a familiar bandanna-clad head.

"Hey, Ryouga!" Ryouga looked up and his eyes widened slightly,

"Hello Akane."

"Could you please come here?"

"Alright." He found his way up to her room with surprisingly little trouble, but the looks Nabiki, Kasumi, and Soun had given him did put him a little on edge.

"I have a tape for you from Ran... Ranko." Akane said right away.

Ryouga's face went hard, "I don't want to hear Ranma laugh at me." He began to turn around but Akane reached out and grabbed his arm. "Please let me go Akane."

"No!" She held him all the harder, "Listen to me Ryouga! She sent copies of this tape to everyone and she never said a single bad word about you! Hell, she loves you! Can you believe it, you're the one who won the contest for hi... her love! And even if I have to chain you up you will listen to what she has to say! Ryouga had stopped struggling and was staring at Akane with disbelief written all over his face. (author's note: *Jigglepuff comes in with his marker and doodles the word disbelief all over Ryouga's face* Ok, I'm sorry, I just had the urge to do that after having watched Pokemon earlier today.)

"Loves me?"

"Yes!" And with that Akane popped the tape labeled 'Ryochan' into the tape player and they both listened.

Ryouga went through a variety of emotions as he listened to her soft honest voice. As she began to speak he couldn't help but feel love welling up in his heart. The voice was as familiar as his own, and he could picture the owner of it clearly, laughing gently as she danced before him in the sunlight, casting a warm glow around her and seeming to set her hair aflame. He had loved that girl, until it turned out that her love was all a lie. He stamped down the love, and the warmth the filled him at the nickname only she used, and listened in sullen silence.

Then came horror, and anger, as he listened to the story of her early years. She had told him that her father was a very harsh trainer, but nothing like this. This wasn't just harshness, this was monstrous.

He sat in shock as she talked about meeting and falling in love with him, and as the memory of the things his other classmates said she had said was relieved, he refelt the stinging pain and betrayal.

Again he felt horror, as he listened to her telling how her father had attempted to trap her in male form at Jusenkyo, and finally understood why she hadn't noticed him at first. Then a faint memory of someone trying to save him entered him mind as she talked about trying to get to him. And he felt relief that she had remembered not to mention the fact that he turned into a little piglet.

Then, he relieved the days when they all stayed around Nermia, when his heart was full of unending pain and sadness and longing.

Finally he came to the time spent with Ranko. It had been the happiest time of his life, when he thought he had finally found someone to love, who he thought loved him back, who he thought would stay with him forever. And, in her arms it felt like he was home anywhere he went. But, all that ended in unbearable heartbreak and betrayal as he learned the girl he loved was really his enemy. For a few days after that all was a blur, he hadn't remembered trying to hurt her, all he knew was that his heart was broken.

Then, suddenly, after everything else was over, her voice started again. Now her tone was full of love, understanding, and frogiveness, "Ryochan, I love you. If you believe nothing else I said, please believe that. You're the most important thing in my world. If you love me, if there's any possibility that you might love me as well, then meet me at the Tunnel Of Lost Love. I'll wait there everyday for a year after September 28th, which is about when I figure these tapes should reach Nermia. I'm in Shanghai right now though, so I really don't have that much of an idea of how long mail takes going from here to there.

"Ryochan, even if you won't come then please ask Akane to, because I have a gift for you, one that I've been waiting quite some time to give you. If you will come, then I've asked Akane to take you there. Don't be ashamed to ask for her help. No one's perfect and *laugh* It's not as if she doesn't know about your sense of direction, or lack there of.

"This time no one is going to drag me away. I'd wait for you forever if I thought that there was any chance you might show up. Because you complete me. Because without you my life is empty. Because I love you.

"And if you don't come, if I never see you again, then goodbye Ryochan. Goodbye, my love." Ryouga sat there, staring at the cassette in silence, until Akane spoke.

"Ryouga, at the end of my tape she left me a message too. She said that... that love is the most important thing in the world. I believe that. Do you?"

He sat in silence for a few more minutes, before he rose his head and stared into Akane's eyes saying, "Why are you trying to get me and her together Akane? I thought that you loved Ranma."

"I do. I love him." Ryouga reeled backwards, staring at her, "What, you thought I couldn't admit it? Well, if he, she could say that she loves you on a tape that she sent copies of to everyone then I can admit to you that I love Ranma, can't I? And that's why I wanted you to hear the tape, and why I'll lead you to where she waits if you want to go there. I love Ranma, and so I want her to be happy. If you're what'll make her happy, then so be it." A small chuckle escaped from her lips, "Anyways, even though I don't like most guys I'm not a lesbian. But what really matters is, do you love her? Will I be taking you when I leave for the tunnel, or will I go alone?"

"I..." he paused, staring at the ground, "I loved Ranko. Then I found out that she was Ranma, and it was like she tore out my heart and stamped on it, but I still loved her. And now, knowing that she really does love me..." He turned to face her, "I never stopped loving her. I'll go." Then a confused look crossed his face, "Um, what's the date?"

"November 16th. She was way off on her guess."

"When are we going?"

"Now, if you want. I don't have anything to do tonight, and it's not that far."

"I... I don't want her to have to worry any longer."

She smiled at him and pushed him out the door, "Ok, you wait here in the hall and I'll change outta this dress." She was shutting the door when she thought of something and reopened it, "Don't you dare move a single inch!"

----------

Ryouga and Akane had reached the Tunnel and were staring at Ranko, who was sitting on a ledge talking to the tour guide. Akane started forward but Ryouga caught her and held her back. She turned to him and noticed he had a deer caught in the headlights look on his face. "Ryouga" she hissed, "You sure as hell better not be backing out now."

"No, I'm not. I just want to hear what she says to the guide."

"Why?"

"To see if she talks about me, and if she does, what she says."

"Oh."

----------

"Aren't you getting tired of sitting around out here everyday?" The guide asked the girl sitting next to him.

"Of course not, how could anyone ever tire of your charming ways and handsome face?" She teased.

"I already have a wife you know."

She sighed overdramaticly, "And I am in love with another. I fear that we are not to be." She pressed the back of her hand against her forehead and fell backwards, "Alas."

----------

Ryouga clenched a fist, "Why that..."

"They're joking Ryouga."

"Oh." he blushed a little, "I knew that."

Akane rolled her eyes, "You take things way to seriously."

----------

"So." the guides face turned serious, "Why do you keep waiting for this guy to show up?"

She shrugged, "I love him. Is more explanation really nessacary?"

"You forget, I'm the person who runs the Tunnel of Lost Love. I've seen how fickle love can be."

"If him attacking me every few days screaming 'Ranma, Prepare To Die' didn't kill my love for him, what makes you think anything would?"

The guide shrugged. "Fine, you win. I doubt anything but real love would survive that sorta abuse."

Ranko cast a worried glace towards the cave, "That last couple has been in there an awfully long time. Can I go look for them?"

"I don't even know why you even ask anymore. Of course you can."

She began to run into the cave, then turned back, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"If, um... If Ryochan doesn't show up I have no where to go so I was wondering... could I maybe stay on helping you out here?"

The guide grinned, "Sure. I've been meaning to find someone to help out. Those ghosts can be a bit to rough for and old man like me sometimes."

"But only if he never shows up." She said, as she disappeared through the cave entrance.

----------

"Come on, here's your chance!" Akane began to walk towards the cave.

"Huh?"

"You can catch up with her in the cave and talk in private!"

"What?!? But you know what those ghosts do to couples!"

"Come on! It seems like she's working there now, they probably know her and won't bother you. Plus, it's not like between the two of you you couldn't handle a few ghosts!"

"Maybe..."

"Not maybe, I'm taking you in!" She chucked 100 yen at the guide and dragged Ryouga in. He was no longer struggling so hard, instead his mind was wandering towards Ranko, towards seeing her again. His memory filled with the way she looked at him, and the special tone of voice she only used when talking to him, with her own unique smell, and with the softness of her skin. How could he have ever doubted her?

----------

Ranko couldn't help but chuckle as she looked at the faces of the ghosts around her. The couple before them were making out in a dark corner, and despite the ghosts efforts they were to busy to pay much attention to the world around them. She pulled a bucket of ice water over where ever it is that Ranma characters keep water, and held it out, whispering to the assorted ghosts, "So, any of you want to do the honers?" then handed it over to the first ghost that got there. It was a slobbering three headed thing, and Ranko watched in interest to see what the couple would do when the water snapped them out of their own little world and they noticed it. True, she realised it was a little mean to do this to poor people, but she wasn't exactly feeling all sweet towards people in happy relationships at the moment.

----------

Ryouga had spent his entire trip to the tunnel thinking over what he'd say, do, feel, when he saw Ranko again. The moment he did set eyes on her all that flew out the window and all he could manage to do was stare at her, absorbing her beauty as if he'd never seen it before.

And in his eyes it almost was like he'd never seen her before. In the time since he had last seen her the image he had of her in is mind had changed back that of Ranma. Now, he was seeing her as herself once more.

Her long red hair cascaded down her back, only a small portion of it actually held with the bow she had made out of one of his bandanna's. She was wearing dark clothes at the moment that almost completely hid her figure, and contrasted greatly with her bright hair and pale skin. She seemed to catch and hold every tiny glimmer of light in the tunnel, almost seeming to glow. (In his eyes anyways) She was currently laughing at a couple that, if he wasn't mistaken, she had just helped to break up, but under the mirth he could hear depression and, unless he was mistaken, a touch of self-hatred. It was a laugh he had heard all to often from his own mouth, and he couldn't stand the thought of being the cause of that pain in another person. Especially not to her. He gathered up every last shred of his courage and softly called out to her, "Ranko-chan..." and hoped that he wasn't to late for her frogiveness.

---------

As they ran screaming toward the exit she began to laugh, throwing an amused glance at the ghost. Then she froze up, eyes wide as she heard a familiar voice behind her call out, "Ranko-chan..."

She turned around, her lips moving silently, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity but was really only a few moments she managed to whisper, "Ryochan..." Then she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him, and burying her face in his neck. "Ryochan." That one word held more love and longing and hope then 100,000 more poetic words could possibly express. After a minute she realised what wasn't responding and looked up. He was looking down at her and suddenly their mouths were very close. She began to lean towards him, but then suddenly pulled away. "Ryochan, are you here because you want to be, or because Akane made you? I... I didn't think she still had that sorta power over you, but if she does I... I und... understand. You can leave. But... first I have to give you this." She held out a small wooden box, but he made no move to take it, he continued to just stare at her, "It's a flask of water from the Spring of a drowned boy. I meant to give it to you for a long time but there were always people around, and I know that this stuff tends to have a mind of its own, so I wanted to make sure no innocent bystanders got splashed. But, there's no one else here now." She opened the box and drew out the flask, then unscrewed the top. Walking forward she poured it over his head. He still continued to stare at her, and her face fell, while at the same time she crumpled to the floor, her eyes focused on a pile of rocks. "Do you hate me so much Ryochan, that you can't even stand to speak to me? I... I'd hoped that you'd at least talk..." She was cut off as Ryouga's hand reached out and caressed her face, and she looked up to see a slight smile on his face.

"I don't hate you. I couldn't hate you." He took her hand and helped her stand again, "I was memorizing you. Your face," He gently ran a hand down her cheek, "And your voice," his hand moved and crossed her lips, "And I was wondering how I could possibly have cast you out of my heart, and frogotten how I feel when I'm around you."

Her eyes watered, the tears falling harder then ever, "Oh, Ryochan..."

"I love you, Rankochan." And then he closed the slight distance between the two of them and pressed his lips against her, their bodies fitting together perfectly. And presently the kissing lead to more then that, and we'll pull out now because this isn't a lemon.

----------

Akane stared at the kissing couple. They looked so perfect together, she didn't know how she hadn't seen it earlier. How could she have ignored the way Ranko acted around Ryouga. How could she have ever believed that the passion that Ranko had displayed when she pretended to be his fiancee could be an act? She knew that Ranma wasn't that good of an actor. 

And what hurt the worst wasn't that Ranma was really Ranko, or that she had chosen Ryouga over her. What really hurt was that she hadn't even noticed Akane standing there. She had known that Akane must have lead Ryouga there, but she hadn't looked for her at all.

Suddenly Akane looked back towards Ryouga and Ranko and, blushing furiously she realised that she really should to get out of there before their clothes were completely gone.

She ran back towards the entrance sobbing.

----------

Ranko snuggled into the warmth of Ryouga's embrace. "Mine." she mumbled.

"Yes, yours." Ryouga agreed. He glanced down at her, "Mine?" he questioned.

She glanced up and smiled dazzlingly, "I've been yours since the first time I ever saw you, if you'd have asked." She lie her head back down on his chest and whispered something Ryouga couldn't quite make out.

"Hmmm?"

She moved up and breathed into his ear, "I said, marry me."

"What?!?" Ryouga sat up suddenly, causing Ranko's arms to wrap around his neck and hold on tight to keep herself from falling onto the floor. She didn't feel like accidently falling on any rocks while naked.

"I just asked you to become my husband." Suddenly she snickered.

"What's so funny?" Ryouga asked, suddenly feeling hurt

"I just realised, this is the first time I've ever actually asked anyone to marry me, despite having all those fiancees."

Ryouga snickered a bit to, then turned serious, "Ranko-chan, it's funny you ask that. Well, not really but..." He reached over and pulled over his backpack, digging around in a pocket until he found what he was looking for, a small ringbox. "I bought this not long before you told me that you're Ranma. In fact, that night I was planning to..." He flipped open the box, revealing the ring inside. It was a gold band, and in the front it had the outline of a heart (as in, the center is hollow) The heart had tiny diamond chips in it all the way around it. "I love you Rankochan. I want you as my wife." He slipped the ring on her finger, and it fit perfectly.

Ranko stared at the ring for a minute, her eyes tearing up. "This..." her voice was soft, and she smiled a little, "this is the first time anyone asked me to get married before declaring themselves my fiancee too." She brushed her lips against his cheek, "I love you, Ryochan." Then she went all serious, "You know, we can never have children. I want to make sure you know that. I finally got around to getting myself checked over shortly after I sent out the tapes, and I can't have kids."

"That's ok, I never really wanted kids anyways."

When her voice came again in was in so soft a whisper he almost didn't hear her, "I did."

Ryouga looked startled, "Rankochan, I..."

"Don't say anything Ryochan. I excepted long ago that I'd never have children, even if I could. Look at my... OUR life. I would never introduce a baby into the sort of craziness that goes on everyday." She leaned against him, "Ok, so we're getting married. But first I'm going to find my mom and finish school. And you're coming with me." Then she giggled, "You know, we're probably the first couple ever who reconciled, screwed, and then got engaged in the Tunnel of Lost Love. It wouldn't have happened if I didn't know the ghosts of course."

"Your saying I would have changed my mind or something? You know that no ghost's a match for me. Why, when Shampoo, Ukyou and I got you and Akane here..." Then his eyes widened, "Wait a second, Akane!"

Ranko's eyes narrowed as she glared up at him, "If you say a single word about betraying Akane I'll beat the shit out of you Ryochan, fiancee or not."

"No, that's not it. She's the one who brought me here, and she was right behind me when we came looking for you. We should find her." He gently pushed Ranko to the side and stood up, searching for his clothes, and tossing her hers as he came across them. A few minutes later they left.

----------

Akane sat on a rock, staring at nothing and ignoring the guide who was trying to be nice and chat with her. The only thing he had found out was that the guy that she had gone in with was the guy Ranko had been waiting for. Suddenly the two came out of the cave, with there arms wrapped around each other. Akane looked up and her gaze was drawn straight to the ring on Ranko's finger, and suddenly it really registered in her mind, Ranma was gone, forever. She'd never see her fiancee again, instead there was only Ranko. Still, at least there was someone, Ranma wasn't really dead or anything. So she forced a smile to her lips and held out open arms, which Ranko entered with a returned smile. "I'm glad your alright Ranko." Akane said.

Ranko looked at Akane seriously, "Are you alright with this Akane? I never wanted to hurt anyone, but this is what I want.

Akane looked at Ranko and suddenly had a moment of clarity. She realised that no, she didn't mind. She really did only want Ranma/Ranko to be happy. And she realised yes, it would hurt. It did hurt, more then anything else ever had, but at the same time something in her realised that they had never been meant to be, and one day she would meet someone who she would love and who would love her back. So her smile grew and became real and she answered, "I don't mind at all, if this is what you really want. After all, we're friends, right Ranko?" She playfully grabbed the hand with the engagement band on it, holding it to the light, "And if I'm not your maid of honer, you'll be reintroduced to Mallet-sama. I'm sure she's missed you during your long absence." *authors note: Yeah, I know they're not xian. Neither am I for that matter, so it's not just some blind xian discrimination thing on my part. However, I know what a maid of honer is and I don't know if there's a Shinto wedding equivalent to it, so they'll have a western wedding, Kay?*

Ranko looked into Akane's eyes and saw the sincerity there, and she relaxed visibly. "Of course you will be Akane, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have."

---------- Epilogue ----------

Ranko and Ryouga stood on the stoop before a house, both looking extremely nervous, though for different reasons. Ranma reached out and hesitantly knocked on the door. A minute later it was answered by a neatly dressed middle-aged woman. "Yes? May I help you?" She smiled at the two of them.

"M...momma?" Ranko said softly. The woman's face grew pale and her eyes widened. She leaned heavily against the doorframe to hold herself up. "Momma, it's me, Ranko."

The woman whispered, "Ranko?" tears came to her eyes and she flung her arms around the smaller girl, "Oh Ranko, I was so scared. Your father came back a few weeks ago and you were no where to be seen, and he wouldn't say anything about you to me. I feared the worst."

"I thought you were dead momma, and that he'd never found a way to tell me." Now Ranko's eyes teared up, "Oh momma, it was so horrible traveling with him. Momma, he tried to force me to become a boy for him, and he engaged me off to all these girls after cursing me so I became a boy, and... and..." She looked like she was about to start sobbing, so she turned and wrapped her arms around Ryouga, trembling fircely in his embrace. Nodoka looked at them curiously.

"And who is this young man Ranko?"

"Momma, brace yourself for a shock. This is my fiancee, Hibiki Ryouga."

Nodoka looked between the two of them and collected herself, then said, "I can scarcely believe it. I've missed so much of your life Rankochan, and now you're here, all grown up and engaged." She slumped a little, "I don't know why I let him take you from me in the first place, but it meant so much to him, and he promised that he'd bring you back soon." She closed her eyes, "It's been 14 years. 14 years, and now I'm a complete stranger to my own daughter." She felt someone touching her hand, and she opened her eyes to see her daughter looking at her gently. Nodoka was shocked by how old those eyes looked.

"It was fate Momma. If I had never left with Pop I'd have never met Ryochan, or any of the friends that now mean so much to me. And I would never have been such a high caliber martial artist." She paused, and looked down, "Anyways, you're not a total stranger. I remember you, if I go back in my memories. And I'd like to add new memories to that." Here she grinned, "If you don't mind having a total tomboy for a daughter."

"As long as I have my daughter back, I don't mind at all." Nodoka smiled and let the two into her house, and into her life.

----------Post-Epilogue Epilogue----------

A few years later Hibiki Ryouga and Saotome Ranko stood in the backyard of the Tendou home, before all their friends and family, and took their marriage vows in the sudden rainstorm that had come up. 

Genma hadn't been seen by anyone but Nodoka since the day Kasumi had cast him out of the house, but at the end of the ceremony Ranko looked up towards the roof of the house and saw a panda standing there. There eyes met and the panda held up a sign that read, |I am proud of you Ranko.| and then turned it around to reveal |Goodbye, daughter.| It was two simple phrases that wouldn't mean to much to most people, but which to her meant the world. They signified, in her mind at least, an end to the lies that had held her in their grasp for so long, and a beginning to frogiveness. She whispered, so softly that no one could hear, "I love you Daddy," and praised the rain that hid the tears which streamed silently down her cheeks.

When she asked later she learned no one else had seen Genma there. No one did see him again for many many years, but that's a part of a different story.

And as the wedding came to an end and the Hibiki's left for their honeymoon there was nothing else left but

The End

----------

Hey look, it's done. This is the longest oneshot fic I've ever written, usually I get bored halfway through and you can really tell from the writing, so I stop. 

Well, I managed to write a Ranma fic without any shapeshifting (well, the one scene when she's cured. Genma's already a panda at the end...), mallets, pairing with his fiancees, fights with his fiancees, or fights at all (yes, Ryouga is pissed at Ranko when the truth is revealed, and we know he tried to beat her bloody but I never actually described any fight scenes, for all we know Ryouga came at Ranko and Ranko used some pressure point to put him to sleep and there was no fighting. And with Genma it was training, though really evil type training.)

I know Kasumi is pretty damn OOC when she kicks Genma out of the house but I started thinking about her reaction to the tape, and her reaction to Genma since he lives under her roof (OK, come on, who here actually really thinks of it as Soun's house?) and I thought, from such a loving motherly character years of abuse caused by someone that lives in her home would hit pretty hard. I figured, 'Hey, maybe it would actually make her mad.

This started off to be part of a longer series I started writing. In it Ranma was whacked unconscious while pretending to be Ryouga's fiancee and then when she wakes up she thinks she really is. They fall in love, she remembers the truth, conflict ensues which ends up with her choosing Ryouga. I wanted this to reveal what her altered memory told her happened throughout her life. Then it ran away from me, the largest change being she really was a girl. And that she'd loved Ryouga all that time. I've completely dropped the original fic this stemmed off from.

Other major changes: Nodoka never made Genma make that promise for obvious reasons, Ryouga really chased after Ranko because of the lies Genma spread, other stuff I don't feel like looking back for at the moment.

However, in my mind this isn't really a fic. It looks like a fic, and acts like a fic, and reads like a fic, but I don't see it as one. Just, I've never really liked dialog based stories like this is, and I've never really considered them to be stories really. And here I am having just written one *smirks* So I don't view it as a real fanfic. You can all think what you wish.

I choose the name Ranko for Ranma because I knew that was a name that a lot of Ranma fans know, and I didn't want to confuse you more than you have to be.

I really didn't start out with the idea that Genma should be a big abusive bad guy. Really. I didn't. I'm planning on writing a sequel maybe, after all I did leave it open for one. The sequel would follow Genma a few years after the wedding and the events that bring him back to Nermia.

Well, that's all. Thanks for reading! Night! 


End file.
